Tuesday, February 8, 2011

I'm Back!

So what is the toughest part of living in Sweden?
     The month of January! Gunnar and I were not quite as bright as Tom. A nice 12 day trip to the states is the best way to get through January in Sweden. Many of my friends, and those in my social network, also figured this out, and spent a large part of the month in their home country. So it was pretty much, Gunnar and me, and a million other strangers here in  beautiful snow covered Stockholm.
     The second, most asked question from my blog; what bothers you the most in January, the lack of light or the extreme cold? Neither, as I mentioned before, a few fun lights which get turned on as you enter, has held off any ill effects of short days. (However, when we traveled and left no lights on, several of my plants died. This is the first time I have ever encountered that. Good thing we left Gunnar with his very own sunlamp!) And the cold, is just a matter of dressing correctly. So far, I have never found it too cold to walk. However, the difficult part of the weather here, is the ice that forms on all the Stockholm sidewalks. No one shovels, I believe that is because  there is just too much snow and it falls so frequently. Anyway, in January, three inches of ice covers all sidewalks, and as you might guess, it is just a matter of time, if you walk everywhere, until you slip. And ,of course, I did.
     The toughest part of living in Stockholm is the month of January, and the toughest part of January is the disappearance of your social network, friends, and spouse. And the inability to get out and be mobile. This is why I brought a cat! Gunnar, books, and bridge, got me through January.
     When you are isolated, you get to know yourself  better. There are three things I need to be happy. 1) Something to love. You have no idea how close the little fellow and I are now! 2) Something to do. I read two books a week, and have learned how to play bridge. 3) Something to look forward to. I mapped out our trip to Egypt. So this is how I spent my January, and perhaps why you haven't heard much from Stockholm. January was a struggle for me, but Gunnar and I were happy!

No comments:

Post a Comment